Drying and finishing machine



y 1-930 's. NORDEN 1,760,516,

DRYING AND FINISHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May27, 1930. s, NQRDEN 1,760,516

DRYING AND FINISHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2n//////// I, l mmm% y 1930- s. NORDEN 1,760,516

7 DRYING AND FINISHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet sPatented May 27, 1930 '1 UNITED i STATES PATENT OFFICE. 4

SVAN NORDENZ, F GRANSTON; RHODE ISLAN D, ASSIGNOB: T0 MOORE FABRIC COM-PANY, OI IPAW'IUCKE'IJ, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION .01 RHODE ISLANDDIRIYING 'AND ."EIINISHIB'TGv MACHINE Application med February 19,1929.Serial ms. 841,168. I

This invention relates to a machine for drying and finishing narrow warefabrics.

' Such products, after being woven or knitted,

are commonly treated with a starch or size coating, and are then passedthrough a drying machine in which the strips of fabric are brought incontact with a succession of slowly rotated heated cylinders, by whichthe fabric is both smoothed and dried-and from which it is delivered inuniformlyfinished condition. C v 4 y The machines previously used havebeen well adapted to the drying and finishing of straight fabrics, butare not adapted to finishing curvilinear fabrics, particularly'when thecurvilinear fabric is of elastic construction.

It is the object of my invention to provide an ,improved drying machinein which narrow curvilinear fabric, and particularly curvilinear elasticfabric, may be easily, quickly and economically dried and finished,while preserving and firmly establishing its predetermined curvilinearform. WVith this general object in view, an important feature of theinvention relates to the provision'of an-improved form of dryingcylinder, having a succession of truncated conical surfaces each adaptedto receive a'separate strip of narrow curvilinear fabric.

Another feature of the invention relates to the provision ofsqueezerolls of novel design and construction, by which the excess size orafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings in which Fig.1 is a side-elevation of my improved drying machine, with certain shaftsand rolls shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a partial rear elevation ofthg mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of certain driving connect1ons;.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of my improved squeeze rolls, takensubstantially along the line 4.-4 in Fig. 1

' Fig. 5 is a detail sectional elevation, taken alongthe line 5-'5 inFig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of adrying cylinder, partly insection;

Fig. 7 is a' sectional side elevation of the sizing bath and associatedparts;

Fig. 8 is a partial plan view of the guiding cylinder in the sizingbath, looking in the direction of the arrow 8 in Fig. 7'

' Fig. 9 is aside new of the feed rolls for t e s1z1ng bath, looking inthe direction of the arrows 9 in Fig. 7

23 secured to a plurality of upright posts or standards 24.- The posts24are secured in bases 25 resting upon a suitable foundatron and havingcross rods 26 extending v therethrough and secured-in outer orsupplementary base members 27. I

The cylinders 20 are provided with.

sprocket wheels 30, engaged by a chain 31 passing successively aroundthe sprockets of the several cylinders and also around a chain guide andtension roll. 33 a delivery roll 34 and a sprocket 35 on a drive shaft36. The shaft 36 is rotated by power from any suitable source and thecylinders-'20 are thus positively rotated at predetermined speed, withsuccessive rolls rotating in opposite dimotions.-

' Adjusting screws 37 are. provided for moving the guide-roll '33 tosuitably tension the ehain3l. A steam pipe 38 (Fig. 2 is connected toeach drying cylinder, preferably through the shaft portion 21 thereof,and the putting their continued rotation.

The cylinders 20 are of the special concylinders are thus highly heatedwhile per- 6, so that the thickness of metal is substantially uniformthroughout the length of the cylinder and the drying coefiicient thereofis correspondingly uniform.

It is obvious that the cylinder 20 may be made as a single continuouscasting or as a plurality of cylindrical sections suitably 'sc curedtogether and with the joints firmly packed to make the assembledcylinder steam tight.

The pieces of curvilinear fabric F may be presented to the machine inany convenient manner, as in a box or tray 44 (Fig. 1) and are drawntherefrom over a feed roll 45, loosely mounted above a sizing bath orpan 47. The feed roll 45 (Fig. 9) is also formed with a succession oftruncated conical surfaces corresponding to the curvature of the fabricto be treated. In view, however, of the greatly reduced diameter of theroll 45, compared with the cylinders 20, the angle of the conicalsurfaces of the roll'45 is much reduced in order to correspond to thesame curvature of the fabric.

Pressure rolls 48 (Fig. 9) are rotatably mounted on brackets 49, whichin turn are loosely mounted on a supporting rod 50. The brackets 49 aresecured in position by pins 51 extending through slots 52 in the hubs 53of the brackets 49. The rolls .48 are tapered to correspond to thetruncated sections of the roll 45, so that the surface speed of therolls 48 will substantially correspond to .the surface speed of the feedroll 45 at all points of contact therewith.

A guide-roll 55 (Figs. 7 and 8) is loosely mounted in the lowerportionof the sizing pan 47, this guide-roll being freely rotatable by thefriction of the fabric thereon and being formed with a plurality oftruncated conical sections similar to the feed roll 45.

The fabric F passes from the sizing bath to a squeeze roll preferablyformed as a succession of rubber-covered truncated conical sections, asindicated in Fig. 4. The roll 60 is mounted on a drive shaft 61,supported in suitable fixed bearings in the frame of the machine.

A pressure roll 64 (Fig. 4) engages each truncated conical surface ofthe squeeze roll 60 and each pressure roll is also preferably of conicalshape and is provided with a relatively thick rubber or cushion surface.The rolls 64 are rotatably mounted on oblique axes on brackets 65 havingguiding portions 66 slidable transversely on a supporting cross bar 67.The cross bar 67 is preferably grooved transversely, as indicated at 68to receive the guiding portions 66 and direct the movement thereof.

Springs 70 are provided for forcing the brackets 65 and rolls 64 towardthe squeeze roll 60 and such inward movement is limited by stop screws71 threaded in the cross bar' 67 and provided with collars 72 (Fig. 5)limiting inward movement of the brackets 65.

The rolls 64 are so designed and proportioned that their peripheralspeed will at all points substantially correspond to the pcripheralspeed of the portions of the squeeze roll 60 engaged thereby. It willalso be noted that each pressure roll 64 may be individually andmanually adjusted toward or away from the squeeze roll 60.

It is essential that the squeeze roll 60 rotate in a definite speedrelation to the rotation of the cylinders 20, but this speed relation isnot constant, but varies with the construction and particularly with thethickness of the curvilinear fabric.

In Fig. 3, I have indicated one form of variable speed drivingconnection between the drive shaft 36 and the squeeze roll shaft 61. Theshaft 36 has a chain and sprocket connection 75 to a cone pulley 76,which in turn is connected by a belt 77 to a second cone pulley 78,having a chain and sprocket connection 7 9 to the squeeze roll shaft 61.

A belt shifting mechanism 82 may be manually adjusted to move the belt77 axially along the reverse cone pulleys 76 and 7 8, thus providing anydesired speed relation between the cylinder 20 and the squeeze roll 60.Any other suitable or convenient speed changing mechanism may beprovided in place of the reverse cone pulleys shown in the drawings.

The delivery roll 34 at the top of the machine (Figs. 1 and 2) is alsoformed with a succession of truncated conical surfaces, beveled to givethe desired relative surface speeds at all points thereof.

Pressure rolls 90' (Fig. 2) are mounted on brackets 91 looselypositioned on a cross baror supporting rod 92, similar to the pressurerolls 48 and brackets 49 previously described. The rolls 90 arepreferably conical and have substantially the same surface speed at allpoints of contact as the conical surfaces of the delivery roll 34.

It is essential that each strip of fabric engage its conical surface oneach drying cylinder at points of corresponding diameter, and it istherefore essential that each strip of fabric be accurately guided as itapproaches each drying cylinder.

For this pu rpose have provided a separate guide member 100 for eachstrip of fabric between .the squeeze roll 60 and the lowermost dryingcylinder 20 and I have also provided additional guiding members 100between each successive .pair of drying I and 11. The members '100 aremounted on cross bars 102 on which they are Secured 106. (Fig. 11

' the fabric therein.

by pins 103 (Fig. 10) extending through slots 10 1 and permittinglimited independent angular self-adjustment of each. guiding device 100.a

A piece of narrowfabric F is received in a guideway 105 in each device100, thelguidement. The guide-ways 105 are preferably open at theirupper sides, as indicated at to permit easy threading of Havingdescribed the-- construction of my I improved drying aandfinishiugmachine, the

method of operation thereof will be readily understood. The' strips ofcurvilinearnarrow fabric F are drawn out of the storagereceptacle44f('Fig.1),over the feed roll 45, and under theguide-roll' bythe driven squeeze-roll 60. The fabric-is thus sized or starched Landthe excess material.-is squeezed out of the fabric between the squeezeroll and the pressure rolls 64.

i The fabric is then delivered to the lower- ;most drying cylinder 20,passing upward around successive drying cylinders until it reachesthedelivery roll 34, from which it is discharged in dried and accuratelycur-.

vilinear form and from which point it may be'cared for in any desiredmanner.

It will be noted that the curvilinear fabric is supported at every pointof contact on surfaces accurately-proportioned-to the desired curve ofthe fabric, and that at all points where the fabric is subjected topresf- 7 sure or tension the engaging surfaces" of op-.

posed rolls move at the same speed against each face of the-fabric andthat the surface speeds are proportionate to the curve of the fabric.

By thus supporting the fabric during the sizin *and' drying operations,the fabric may die discharged with the 'exact degree of curvature"desired and contemplated in the weavin thereof. .This is particularlyessential in treating curvilinear elastic fabrics infwhich the curvaturemay very readily become distorted if the engaging surfaces do not at alltimes'travel with suitably relatedsurface speeds. f; I

I my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to bewise'thanas" set, forth Ic1ainiis:-

a 1. In a. drying and finishing machme,;.a

in the claims, but what plurality of drying cylinders each havingitsmeans to present pieces of narrow curvilinear fabric to saidcylinders.

2. In a dryingand finishingmachine, a plu rality of drying cylinderseach having its outer drying surface formed with a succession oftruncated conical portions, guiding means to :present pieces of narrow.curvilinear fabric to saidcylinders, and means to guide said fabric in apredetermined path from each cylinder to a successive cylinder.

3. In a drying and finishing machine, a plurality of drying cylinderseach having its outer drying surface .formed with a succession oftruncated conical portions, and guiding means to present pieces ofnarrow curvilinear fabric to said cylinders, all of said conicalportions in any one cylinder being of identical inclination anddiametraldimensions.

' 4. In a drying and finishingmachine, a plurality of drying cylinderseach having its outer drying surface formed with a succession oftruncated conical portions, and guiding means to present pieces ofnarrow curvilinear fabric to successive drying cylinderspall bf saidconical portions in any one cylinder being of identical inclination andidentical diametral dimension,.and the peripheral wall of each cylinderbeing of substantially uniform thickness from end to end. of saidcylinder.

5. In a drying and finishing machine, a plurality of drying cylinderseach having its outer drying surface formed with a succession oftruncated conical portions, and guid ing means to present piecesof'narrow curvilinear fabric to successive drying cylinders, saidtruncated portions beingidentical in inclination and in diametraldimensions and said cylinders having substantially uniform heattransmitting capacity in all portions of the drying surface thereof. i

' 6. In a drying and finishing machine, a plurality of drying cylinderseach having its outer drying surface formed with a succession oftruncated conical portions, and guiding means to present pieces ofnarrow curvilinear fabric to said portions,-said guiding means beingadjustable tothe path of the fabric. I 7. In a drying and finishingmachine, a plu- I rality of drying cylinders each having its outerdrying surface formed ivitha succession of truncated conical portions,and guiding means to present ieces of narrow curvilinear fabric to saidcy 'nders, said guiding means each being independently self-adjusting tothe path of each piece, of fabric. 2

8. In a drying and finishing machine, a plurality of drying cylinderseach having its outer drying surface formed with a succession oftruncated conical portions, and guiding means to present ieces ofparrow'curvilinear fabric-to said c inders, said guiding means beingindepen v entlfyQself-adjusting ,to the path of each piece 0 f bric andhaving a cen tral longitudinal threading opening in its upper face.

stantially uniform peripheral wall thickness is attained.

11. In a drying and finishing machine, a drying cylinder having asuccession of truncated conical fabric-engaging portions, and means toguide a piece of narrow curvilinear fabric to an axially predeterminedpoint of engagement with a conical surface of said cylinder.

12. In a drying and finishing machine, means to size apiece of narrowcurvilinear fabric, and means to remove excess size therefrom comprisinga squeeze roll having a succession of truncated conical fabric-engagingsurfaces, and a pressure roll engaging said squeeze roll, said pressureroll having conical surfaces cooperative with said squeeze rollsurfaces.

13. In a drying and finishing machine, means to size a piece of narrowcurvilinear fabric, and means to remove excess size therefrom comprisinga squeeze roll having a succession of truncated conical fabric-engagingsurfaces, and a pressure roll engaging said squeeze roll, said pressureroll having conical surfaces coo erati e with said squeeze roll surfacesan having substantially the same surface speed as the engaged portion ofsaid squeeze roll at all axial sections of said roll.

14. In a drying and finishing'machine, a squeeze roll, a plurality ofdrying cylinders, and a delivery roll, said rolls being of much lessdiameter than said cylinders and each of said rolls and cylinders beingformed with a plurality of truncated conical portions disposed at suchinclinations to their axes that eachroll and cylinder will accuratelyengage and forward a curvilinear fabric of predetermined curvaturewithout curvilinear distortion.

15. In a. drying and finishin machine, a squeeze roll, a plurality ofdrying cylinders and a delivery roll, said rolls being of much lessdiameter than said cylinders and each of said .rolls and cylinders beingformed with a plurality of truncated conical portions. the diameter,speed, and inclinations of the conical portions of all of said rollsbeing so proportioned relative to each other that the relative travel ofthe long and short edges of a curvilinear fabric engaged thereby will beuniform for all of said rolls.

16. In'a'drying and finishing machine, a squeeze roll formed with aplurality of trunaving its outer drying surface 'cated conical portions,a separate conical pressure rollengaging each conical portion of saidsqueeze roll, and means to support each pressure roll for free rotationabout:

an axis so inclined with respect to the axis of said squeeze roll thatthe surface speeds of vided for yieldingly advancing each pressure rolltoward said squeeze roll. and separate manually adjustable means isprovided'to posltively limit such advance movement for each roll.

fixed my signature.

SVAN NORDEN.

